It didn’t look like much, but apparently a brush by from Edmonton Oilers forward Alex Chiasson was enough to send goaltender Carey Price into concussion protocol. The netminder finished the first period of Monday’s game vs. the Oilers but didn’t return. Jake Allen took his place, the Oilers went on to win and reports today suggest Price could be out of a while.
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On the goal in question, McDavid’s marker was called back because of goaltender interference. But, it didn’t seem like Price was too worse for ware until he was seen stretching out his neck leaving the ice after the first period was over. When he didn’t return, Allen got the call. It wasn’t clear what play cause his injury, but he wasn’t on the ice for this morning’s practice and head coach Dominque Ducharme has explained that his starting netminder has been placed in the concussion protocol and will be out at least a week.
Jake Allen did his best to combat an Oilers squad that was gaining momentum as the game wore on, but it’s not good news that Price could be out for a handful of games. Allen and Cayden Primeau were the goalies on the ice today and they’ll be tasked with keeping the Canadiens in a playoff position.
Tough Year for Price
No doubt, Carey Price is one of the best goaltenders in the NHL. That said, this has been a tough year for the veteran starter. He’s now got a 12-7-5 record and .901 save percentage through 25 appearances and Allen has outplayed him most of the season. It’s certainly possible that the backup assumes the starting role heading into this year’s playoffs.
How much can Ducharme rely on a goaltender who hasn’t been consistent, but may also have some injury issues? This is an all-or-nothing season for Montreal and they need to go with the roster that will give them the best chance to win, considering the GM has bet everything on this roster for this season.
When it comes to Primeau, Renaud Lavoie of TVA Sports tweets that the young goaltender is expected to make his season debut against the Calgary Flames later this week.
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